In search of 'right' dress
by Zapin Sonata
Summary: The story revolves around Ramsharan and Rehman who own a mechanic shop in a small town of Rajasthan(India). The discussions between Ramsharan and Rehman regarding their 'professional dress' leads Ramsharan to search for the 'right' dress. Ultimately, Ramsharan's observations being with a dog makes him realize his spiritual calling.
_Ramsharan_ is getting ready to leave for his daily work . _Madavi_ , his wife brings him his favorite white _kurta-pygama1_ along with jug full of _pudina_ _chanch2_ which she believes is a shield to the scorching heat of Rajasthan. _Ramsharan_ bows before his father's picture hanging on the wall of the main drawing room, touches his father's feet in the photograph and moves towards his wife. His wife applies the sacred _tika3_ of _Sai Baba4_ on his forehead and started moving to his shop. _Ramsharan_ looked like a rich _zamindar5_ in his pristine white _kurta-pygama._ He had been wearing white _kurta-pygama_ to his work since 4 decades after his father handed-over his family business to him. His father too liked wearing the same dress daily as he went to his work. _Ramsharan_ always wanted to be like his father – passionate about his work, hard working, honest. He imitated his dressing style, his walking and sitting style , the way he used to regularly sharpen the ends of his bushy moustache , the hair oil and his hair style.

 _Ramsharan_ walkedpass _Hari's_ _paan-shop6. Hari_ handing over _Ramsharan's_ favorite _Banarsi paan_ greeted him, " _Ram Ram bhaiya7._ You are again at the right time; your punctuality is just as your father's." _Hari_ felt elated after being compared to his father and started sharpening the ends of his moustache. _Hari_ has been _Ramsharan's_ school friend; he had dropped out of studies to work on his father's shop after his father suffered a major heart attack _. Ramsharan's_ fathertried helping him financially but he didn't accept. To make sure _Hari_ earned something daily, _Ramsharan's_ father took to the habit of daily buying a _paan_ from him while on his way to work. He would gift it daily to _Ibrahim_ , who owned a shop adjacent to his . After _Ibrahim_ 's death, he found it immoral to give the _paan_ to his young son _Rehman_ who even though had a habit of chewing _paan_. With an intention to not to waste it, he himself started eating _paan_. _Ramsharan_ use to like his father's vermilion lips and the strong aroma of _paan_ and sometimes asked his father to buy him a _paan_. _Ramsharan's_ father sometimes used to bit a piece of _paan_ and put it in _Ramsharan's_ mouth. _Ramsharan_ chewed the leaf for hours and mimicked Bollywood actors _paan_ chewing, spitting and speaking. _Ramsharan_ spitted in the same style today, greeted _Hari_ and moved hastily to his shop.

On reaching his shop, _Ramsharan_ murmuredfew chants advised to him by the village priest. He called up _Rehman_ to help him in opening the shutter of his shop. _Rehman_ ran to _Ramsharan's_ shop and while helping him open the shutter said, " _Salaam alaikum Chacha8,_ you need to get a new shutter lock". _Ramsharan_ smiled and replied _, "_ For whom? I will be gone in few years _"._

 _Ramsharan_ quickly placed the tool kits in their proper places and started undressing his _kurta-pygama_. He hanged it on a nail inside his small shop, covered it with polythene and wore a shabby _kurta_ and a trouser. Both the clothes were soiled in grease marks and dust. He cleaned the vicinity of his shop with a broom and then sprinkled water . While sprinkling he said to _Rehman_ , "The aroma of water on the burning land reminds me of rainy days. It has been a month and there has been no rainfall." _Rehman_ in a thoughtful posture replied, "I forecast our state will be 2nd _Marathawada9._ _Chacha_! Why do you daily toil and clean up the place when anyways it will get dirty?" _Ramsharan_ pointing upwards replied, " _Beta10_! God always resides in a clean place. You too should clean your place daily. _Ibrahmin Bhai_ used to daily do that". _Rehman_ laughed and said _,_ " _Chacha!_ Why do you then change and wear these dirty clothes".

 _Ramsharan_ taking a gulp from the packet of _chanch,_ "Well, that is my professional dress and it my duty to abide by the dress of my profession. And I am proud of it. Who on earth will believe my technical skills, if I wear a pristine white _kurta-pygama_ to the shop?

"Have a gulp of _chanch_ , you _Chachi11_ made it today morning itself. It will soothe you from this burning heat" continued _Ramsharan_.

 _Ramsharan_ taking a thoughtful stance continued, " _Beta_! Your dress should match with your profession. Don't you see _Harmeet_ , the cab-driver who is my regular customer always wearing white dress? And _Joseph,_ the auto-driver always in his sky-blue dress, _Daroga Sahib12_ in his _khakee_ dress13?"

 _Rehman_ smirked and replied, " _Chacha_! Why don't you come wearing your professional dress right from your home? Why do you change it here? _Harmeet paji14i_ , _Joseph_ and _Daroga Sahib_ all wear their dress; right from their homes, why don't you do the same? Why are you unnecessary wasting time and energy in changing clothes?"

 _Ramsharan_ knew that the young witty boy had caught him and in a way to divert the topic, he replied, "It is getting hotter and there is no customer still. Soon we will see myriads of customers with their ill vehicles. Come! Help me in moving the air cylinder".

 _Ramsharan_ considered himself noting less than a doctor, the doctor of machines . He felt that it was a difficult task to be a mechanic and even the best of engineer's can't match their profession. He used to repeatedly quote, "These engineers can only mug up concepts and laws but it is a mechanic who actually understands a machine. To be an engineer was easy but to be a mechanic requires great skills". He compared himself to _Vaidhya15_ and used to say, "As _Vaidhya ji_ just by touching the patient's arm is able to decipher the illness, in the same way mechanics by just listening to the vehicle's sound are able to comprehend vehicle's illness". He always dreamt to get a business card printed in his name prefixed with 'Dr.'

 _Madavi_ bore _Ramsharan_ his only son _Raghuveer_ whom he was very fond of. He enrolled him in an Arts college in Delhi to study English. He wanted his son to learn English and write a book on the ' _mechanic community'_ so that nationally and internationally he and his community can get their deserved respect and accreditation.

 _Ramsharan_ looked disturbed after the recent conversation with _Rehman_. He couldn't hide from _Rehman's_ hard facts. First time in his life, he felt that he was not as proud of his work as he felt. All the thoughts that he had been watering since long time were swayed away by the tsunami of the facts that _Rehman_ had brought forward. This was not the first time that _Rehman's_ witty remarks had tossed his head, but this time it was a big blow on his self-image. He felt like closing up his work for the day and go to any secluded place. As he was engrossed in his thoughts, _Lallan_ , a rowdy security guard of a local politician and _Ramsharan's_ regular customer woke him up. _Ramsharan_ had been servicing _Lallan's_ bike for a meager amount as he saw _Lallan_ as a good prospect that could voice his thoughts for uplifting the mechanic-community to the local politician. _Ramsharan,_ as if waking from a bad dream said, " _Lallan Bhaiya,_ what makes you here in this roasting heat?" Lallan smoking a _bidi16_ and rubbing his face with his sweat drenched handkerchief replied, "The election campaign will be soon starting and I would be campaigning in villages and towns, and this bike is my _Chetak17 "._

" _Chetak_ used to get the best of food and treatment from _Maharaja ji_ , you don't even treat your bike like an ass. From months I have been advising you to get the engine repaired, getting its parts regularly oiled but you have always given deaf ears to this doctor. I can treat only when the patient is ready to follow my advice. But you have always looked at your machine with lustful eyes of a rapist and made me too a part of this deadly crime by instructing me to look for a cheap _jugad18_. _Jugad_ ' _s_ don't make _Chetak's_. But no more now, you can take your bike to _Gansham's_ shop , he will be serving you as per your wishes. If any bike gets healed by me, it will have to drink my prescribed _kada19_ first. Otherwise take it to your allopathic mechanics; they can do all the temporary _jugad_ you want"

 _Lallan_ and _Rehman (_ who was witnessing the conversation from his shop) were stunned to hear the timid _Ramsharan_ shouting like that. _Ramsharan_ himself was shocked to see this sudden burst from him. He considered himself a soft-spoken man.

 _Lallan,_ extinguishing his _bidi_ with his shoe retorted, " _Chacha_! I am considering your age otherwise I would have strikeout you like this _bidi_. And forget about meeting the politician , you will never be able to come in his 100km radius. And let me tell you, you mechanics are good for nothing and you will always remain this petty man as you are."

This was another blow to _Ramsharan's_ self-imagebut he was elated to see this change. He used to shrug away from directly getting into heated arguments and considered himself fearful, timid and shy. He considered it as his weakness in his revolution to get the 'mechanic community' to its deserved status. His argument with _Lallan_ made him elated as it was his victory over his weakness. After _Lallan_ had left, _Rehman_ came running to _Ramsharan._ _Rehman's_ sight brought him back to square one; the sudden excitement had drained back to lull. _Rehman_ whilerubbing _Ramsharan's_ forehead with his towel said, " _Chacha-jan!_ Are you alright? I was frightened that _Lallan_ might beat you up. I had got my sickle ready, if he had hit you, he would have paid the price".

 _Rehman's_ warm gesture brought tears to his eyes which he somehow managed to keep it within his eye banks. _Ramsharan_ had always treated _Rehman_ as his son. Even though he used to get angry when the witty boy made intelligent remarks, making him feel as a fool. But in hearts of hearts, he respected his wits and wisdom. He had even thought to get him into school but the very idea was revoked by his wife _Madavi_ who had threatened him to go to her father's place if he tried to engage in any philanthropy.

While _Ramsharan_ was brooding on his past decision, _Rehman_ got up and brought his lunch to _Ramsharan_ and said, "Let's have lunch first. _Ommi20_ has made your favorite _kareli ki sabzi21_ today. What has _Chachi_ made today?"

 _Ramsharan_ without replying got his lunch and replied, " _baigan ka bartha22_. Your _Chachi_ thinks I am still young to eat all this spicy and oily food. I recently had a heightened cholesterol level".

"You got it wrong. She sends it for me. You can have _kareli ki sabzi_ that will be good for your health and I will have _baigan ka bartha "_ replied _Rehman_ handing over his vegetable box to _Ramsharan._

After having their lunch, they retreated on a coir cot beneath the huge banyan tree . Heavy lunch, a glass full of _pudina_ _chanch_ and the cool breeze beneath the tree; everything pushing them to a mid-day siesta.

Half an hour had passed and both of them lay in deep sleep. The sweet voice ofcuckoo woke _Ramsharan._ He gazed at _Rehman_ and was moved by his innocent face. He felt lucky to have him as his companion even though he was 30 years younger to him. While mulling on the same thing, he again felt asleep .

 _Ramsharan_ woke up again but this time it was _Rehman's_ voice, " _Chacha_! Customers are there, wake up". He saw _Rehman_ busy with his customers. He saw a lot of customers had gathered around his shop. He ran to his shop and got engrossed in work.

It was late evening, the sun had set, and birds had already moved back to their nests, the rickety local bus conductors were counting their earnings. _Ramsharan_ too thought to count his today's earnings . He had made Rs 450 today which was more than enough for him. _Rehman_ had already closed his shop and was chewing _paan_ and talking to other shopkeepers. _Ramsharan_ quickly started packing his shop and then started undressing his _professional dress_.

It had been 25 minutes and _Ramsharan_ lay semi-naked in his _langot23_ thinking whether to wear his shabby _professional dress_ or _kurta-pygama._ Other shopkeepers were leaving for their homes _;_ _Rehman_ came to _Ramsharan_ and said, " _Chacha_! Be quick! I have to take _Ommi_ to market and buy vegetables".

" _Beta_ you can leave, I will take a little time today. _Khuda Hafiz"_ _Ramsharan_ replied digging into his tool box.

"What work? Let me help you" replied _Rehman_ promptly.

"No. No. It is okay. I need to do it myself. You take your _Ommi_ to the market, it will be closed soon. And yes, take this (handing over Rs 20 note) and buy yourself a _5-star24 "_ _Ramsharan_ replied again digging into his tool box.

" _Chacha_! I am 22 now and I earn a handsome amount. I respect you but I cannot take this. And I will be going back only with you. I will buy vegetables tomorrow _._ Burglars have increased in the city and they are in look of soft targets. I am not leaving you alone. You wear your clothes and tell me what work needs to be done." replied _Rehman_ giving _Ramsharan_ a foot massage.

"I have to go nearby to one of my relative's place for dinner. Buy _bindi25_ from _sabzi-mandi26_ and tell your mother to cook it for me. Go! The _mandi_ will be closed by 9." replied _Ramsharan_ trying not to make eye contact.

"Alright! I will get coconut cookies from _Babulal's_ shop. We will have it tomorrow after lunch. _Allah Hafiz_ " replied _Rehman_ tying his shoe laces.

 _Ramsharan_ kept on starring till _Rehman_ had reached the end of the road. He laid down on the sand resting his head on a deflated bike tube, stretching his arms and legs as the stray dogs do on finding a cool place. The sand still had the warmth of the day massaging his body. _Ramsharan_ remembered his childhood days when he used to lay down with his brothers on sand for long hours and made imaginary diagrams watching the star-laden night sky . He remembered that it had been a long time that he had visited his brother's place. "Should I go wearing my _professional dress_ there too? No. Drivers, policemen don't wear their dress when they go to their relatives" murmured _Ramsharan._

The thought of wearing his _professional dress_ from home to his office made him very uneasy. "How will I make prayers in dirty clothes ?" pondered _Ramsharan._ He pondered on what _Rehman_ would have reacted to this argument. " _Chacha_! Does God only hear to rich people because only they can afford to wear clean clothes daily?" _Ramsharan_ could see the failure of his argument; he placed his arm over his eyes and tried deviating his mind from the topic. But all in vain, he kept on thinking of other arguments.

"What will _Hari_ think? _Madavi_ will feel uncomfortable because of the stinking odor of my clothes. What will the neighbors think of me? They will think I have gone bankrupt. Bride families coming with marriage proposals for _Raghuveer_ will down value us. After all I am the face of the family" _Ramsharan_ observed .

" _Bauji27_ too used to wear tidy _kurta-pygama_ to shop and then changed to his _professional dress_. And he was most passionate man I have ever seen in my life." _Ramsharan_ observed while taking out his father's photograph from his wallet.

"I can never match my father. He was a gem and his aura radiated wherever he used to go. He was a great problem solver and people used to visit him from long distances to seek his advice. And here I am not even capable of solving my problem. Had _Bauji_ been alive, he would have solved this query" thought _Ramsharan_ touching his father's feet in the photograph .

While keeping his father's photograph back in his wallet , he found his wife's photograph hidden behind his son's photograph. He felt embarrassed to keep his wife's photograph in the front pocket of his wallet, hiding it from his parents, relatives and friends. "What will they think if he saw her photograph?" he used to ponder. "But what wrong am I doing by keeping her photograph; after all she is my lawful wife " remarked _Ramsharan_ while contemplating on the issue.

 _Ramsharan_ dozed off while mulling on these issues. He dreamt of himself wearing his _professional dress_ and being mocked by his neighbors, friends and onlookers who thought he was a beggar. He saw his wife and son leaving for his brother-in-law's home because of the contempt suffered by them due to his dress. _"Madavi, Raghuveer,_ Don't leave me alone. Please don't go. _"_ murmured _Ramsharan_ waking up from the dream.

" _Madavi_ would be looking for me. Her blood pressure will shot up if I am late . I should have left her a message through _Hiralal_ " he thought while gazing at _Hiralal's_ shop who happened to be his neighbor and owned a shop next to _Rehman._

He stood up and started looking for water. The water bottle he had brought was empty. He remembered _Hiralal_ had drunk whole of the left water when he was leaving back for his home. "These insensitive people like _Hira_ don't consider other people's situation; they just want to fill up their bellies with other's things. Their bulged bellies if cut will have all the things of their neighbors . They will have no entry in heaven for the deeds they have done on earth" muttered _Ramsharan_ hitting his shop's shutter with his fist. _Ramsharan_ imagined the plump, obese _Hiralal_ getting stuck in the door of heaven and hence being denied entry.

While he imagined the plight of _Hiralal_ and chortled, his attention was taken up by a dog that drank water from the water-tub used for checking puncture of tyre. He wondered how a dog lived a free and peaceful life. _Ramsharan_ contemplating on dog; wondered that, "How lucky is this dog? How peaceful? He has neither a professional nor a social dress. He has no dress at all. He doesn't have to worry for money. He doesn't have to save money for his son's marriage. He eats when he feels like; he drinks when he feels like . He has no obligation to go back to his home. His wife doesn't get high blood pressure if he returns late or doesn't return at all. He doesn't worry even if he is been mocked. He doesn't become angry if another dog drinks his water. Well, he has no personal water to be angry upon _. All water is his water, all food is his food_ ".

 _Ramsharan_ felt like hugging the dog but he didn't want to disturb him. He rose up wearing a _langot_ and started moving towards the street. He wandered along the lanes aimlessly. Having had walked a couple of miles, he reached the nearby temple . Crossing the main gate, he moved up towards the main _puja28_ room. He saw an iron gate on the main entrance locked from inside. He peeped inside and found the priest who had a belly like _Hiralal_ sleeping in one corner . " _Pujari29 ji_ too has a _professional uniform._ They have also given 'dresses' to the God as per their choice", he sneered and started moving down the temple stairs. On reaching the main temple gate, he found stray dogs sleeping beneath a _Peepal30_ tree . He drank water from the tap near the gate and rested beneath the _Peepal_ tree with the dogs. A dog that saw a new mate beside the tree moved a bit left wagging his tail; as if welcoming _Ramsharan_ to his family. In no time _Ramsharan_ was in deep sleep.

It was morning and _Ramsharan_ woke up from the chirping of the birds on the _Peepal_ tree . He bowed towards the temple and started murmuringfew chants which was advised to him by a priest. He stretched his back and found that most of the dogs had already left the place, a few of them hanging around the tap looking for some water to quench their thirst. He observed that human's can be defined as beings that not only wear different professional dresses but personalities according to different time and place. While at religious places they will have a different dress and conduct . While at their workplace, not only does the dress change but their personalities too . They are different at home and in a social gathering . The dogs dress or behavior doesn't change with time and place. It is _one_ all the time. He doesn't ditch people with its appearance. If man could rise up to be even a dog , he will live a more peaceful life.

As _Ramsharan_ stood in deep thought observing things as he had never before done, suddenly a small metal object hit his face. He looked in his vicinity and found that it was a Rs 5 coin . He soon realized that he was thought to be a beggar by the devotees visiting the temple. He chuckled and caressing a nearby dog whispered in his ear, "A small step towards you. Now I don't need to look for money. Let us have biscuits". The dog licked his hands and they both moved to a nearby shopkeeper to fetch a packet of biscuit. _Ramsharan_ while sharing the biscuit with the dog , whispered again to it, "It would take me a long time or may be never to be like you. At least at the physical level, I can be like you. It is only this _langot_ that separates you and me at the physical level . Let me get rid of this. It is an unnecessary baggage."

 _Ramsharan_ took off his _langot_ and threw it on the ground and started walking to the nearby pond to take bath. The dog followed him all along the way to the pond . _Ramsharan_ jumped into the pond and swam towards the other side of the pond and returned back to the same side where the dog was lying down with its tongue hanging out . _Ramsharan_ speaking to the dog, "You know friend, to detect punctures in tyres we immerse them in the water tub. If we could detect man's wounds by immersing him into a water body, there would be endless holes. Man seems a nearly impossible case for redemption". The dog wagged his tail as if confirming his statement .

 _Ramsharan_ came out of the pond and walked towards the temple. The dog followed him towards the temple. Seeing the dog pissing on a tree , _Ramsharan_ too started pissing and murmured, "Thanks friend. I had forgotten that now I am free to piss anywhere".

On reaching the temple premises, _Ramsharan_ drank water from the tap and got some water for the dog in a broken earthen pot. _Ramsharan_ noticed a rich man serving the poor people with fruits and biscuits outside the temple. He joined the queue and got some fruits and biscuit packets. He called the dogs and shared the food with them. After having had food, he laid down beneath the _Peepal_ tree and soon was fast asleep

A clatter broke _Ramsharan_ 's sleep. He opened his eyes and saw his wife, his son and _Rehman_ standing around him. His wife was crying and beating her breast. _Rehman_ was consoling _Raghuveer_ and said, "I had already cautioned _Chacha ji_ about the rise of burglars in the city but he didn't take it seriously . I never thought these bastards would fall so low that they would rob people with their clothes and even underwear. If I somehow meet them, I will knock their block off".

 _Raghuveer_ took a cloth sheet and covered his father's body and rubbing his back said, "Papa, now you will not work anymore. I will soon be finished with my graduation and will be looking for a job".

 _Ramsharan's_ wife brought a coconut, revolved it around hishusband'shead and told _Raghuveer_ to offer it to the deity's feet; muttering "It was because of the Lord that your father is alive."

 _Rehman_ brought a glass of water and offered to _Ramsharan_ and started massaging his feet.

 _Ramsharan_ couldn't understand what to say. He couldn't utter a word. His companion dog had run to the nearby bush owing to the hustle and bustle near _Ramsharan._ _Hiralal_ came in _Maruti 800_ car which was gifted by his son's father-in-law. _Rehman_ lifted _Ramsharan_ on his shoulder and placed him in the back seat of the car. _Raghuveer_ tried grabbing the adjacent seat with his father. _Ramsharan_ held _Rehman's_ hand indicating him to take the adjacent seat. "Let _Raghu_ _Bhai_ and _Chachi_ sit, I will come by bus" replied _Rehman_ easing his hand from _Ramsharan's_ grip and indicating _Madavi_ to take the adjacent seat.

 _Hari_ speeded his car dispersing the crowd into two halves. _Rehman_ inspected the place in hope of getting any clue of the burglars. He used his knife to cut through the bushes near the _Peepal_ tree . He recognized _Ramsharan's langot_ which he had seen _Ramsharan_ wearing yesterday; in the mouth of the dog . He tried snatching it from the dog's grip but the dog was in no mood of returning his human mate's only possession. _Rehman_ picked up a plastic bottle in the bush and tried to frighten the dog. The trick worked and he was able to get it. He tried looking for other belongings in the bush but couldn't get anything. He moved back to the temple, took a bus from the nearby stand to his shop . He moved hurriedly to _Ramsharan's_ shop and found his _professional dress_ and his _kurta-pygama_ lying there. He checked _Ramsharan's_ secret pocket in his _kurta-pygama_ and to his shock found the money in place. _Rehman_ head tossed, he became curious to know what would have happened last night. He kept the money in his pocket, pushed the shutter down, locked it up and ran towards _Ramsharan's_ home.

On reaching _Ramsharan's_ home, he saw a crowd of neighbors had gathered near _Ramsharan_ and were consoling _Madavi_ who was still crying . _Ramsharan_ wearing a _dhoti_ was sleeping on the wooden bed in the adjacent room. _Rehman_ moved towards _Madavi_ and said, " _Chachi!_ Don't be worried everything is fine. I have found _Chacha's_ clothes and money." _Madavi_ couldn't listen properly to him owing to the noise.

 _Ramsharan_ recognized _Rehman_ voice and asked him to come in. _Rehman_ moved inside the room and while caressing his forehead inquired , " _Chacha!_ What happened last night? I am sure they were not the burglars but then what happened. How did you reach the temple and who took your _langot_? Well, I found your _langot._ Here is your money; I found it in your shop".

 _Ramsharan_ replied, "Keep it with you. And I will tell you everything but let these gossip mongers first leave. These people have declared me sick and have been feeding me with _haldi-doodh31_ since afternoon. Go; get me a _paan_ first from _Hari's_ shop. Do tell _Hari_ that I had asked for it otherwise he will make an ordinary one."

 _Rehman_ left immediately and returned after a quarter of an hour with one _paan_ in his hand and the other in his mouth. Offering _paan_ to _Ramsharan,_ he said, " _Chacha! Hari_ _Chacha_ makes amazing _paan,_ the best I have ever had" _._

 _Ramsharan_ placing the _paan_ in the right corner of his mouth, spitting red saliva as he spoke, , "He made it amazing because of my reference. Well, I have got the answer of your question. Rather I got much more than I had asked"

"Which question?" replied _Rehman_ scratching his head .

 _Ramsharan_ took _Rehman_ 's hand and placing it between his hands ; he said "I am thankful to you that you raised the argument of the _professional dress_ with me. Mulling on this question and the company of the dog made me realize that one doesn't need any dress at all. Rather any dress is an unnecessary burden, even the _langot_. Have you ever seen any animal, bird, plant wear a dress or even a _langot_ and then contemplate what to wear . How peacefully do they live? And see what has happened to us (human). I don't want to live with them, I am happy with dogs. Yesterday was a great day indeed, I felt as young as you. _Beta,_ what do you say?"

 _Rehman_ had forgotten to chew _paan_ and was astonished to see a sudden change in _Ramsharan._ He could see _Ramsharan_ was not blabbering; his eyes had a glitter which he had never seen before . He couldn't comprehend his words exactly but could sense something very different.

After a brief lull, _Rehman_ replied, " _Chacha_! I don't understand what are you saying but I somehow understand that whatsoever you are saying is right. I will take leave for now as I have to open my shop. I will be coming to meet you in the evening. I will get you a _paan_ too".

" _Khuda Hafiz!_ Do fill the water-tub outside my shop with some water. It is too hot these days. Where will these animals and birds find water when even humans are facing the scarcity? We are responsible for making them homeless for our self-centric pursuits which are endless. They had to suffer in the name of human progress and civilization. And now the government is asking to kills our forefathers as they say, 'they are encroaching in our territory'. Who is encroaching whose property?"

 _Rehman_ looked puzzled with the sudden outburst of _Ramsharan_. He nodded his head in agreement and left for his shop. _Rehman_ kept on introspecting on the sudden change he had seen in _Ramsharan_ as he walked pass _Hari's_ shop. On seeing _Rehman, Hari_ enquired, "How is _Ram Bhaiya_ now?"

 _Rehman_ engrossed in his thoughts, didn't respond and continued walking towards the shop. He still had the keys of _Ramsharan's_ shop. He opened the shutter and got the water-tub out, filled it with water and kept it on the side of the road. He waited for a while near the tub and tried tempting the stray dogs to drink water. One of them came, sniffed his feet and went back. _Rehman_ went back to his shop, opened the shutter, took a small desk and sat on it gazing at the water-tub . A cuckoo sat on the end of the tub and pierced its beak through the water and then flew. _Rehman_ was elated looking at the proceedings. He spent his day gazing at different birds and animals that came to drink water from the tub . He planned to close his shop early and share his experiences with _Ramsharan._ He decided to leave the water-tub outside the shop so that the animals could drink water at night too. He locked both the shops, refilled the tub with water and dashed through the lanes stopping only at _Hari's_ shop to buy _paan_ for _Ramsharan._

On reaching _Ramsharan's_ home, he saw a man with long hair wearing a black loose robe , hitting with a peacock feather broom on the door of the room in which _Ramsharan_ was sitting in the afternoon. He was muttering something loudly as he hit the door. _Ramsharan's_ wife and son stood in the corner of the room with their hands folded in fear. _Rehman_ enquired with _Raghuveer_ to which he replied in a fearful tone , "A witch has taken possession of father. After you left, he went naked outside and started feeding dogs with water and chapattis. A neighbor advised to call a _Tantrik32_ who will spell magical words and free him from the witch. We have locked him inside so that he does not create any chaos again. _Tantrik_ has uttered the magical spell and said that soon the witch will free father from her clutches.

 _Rehman_ forced the _paan_ from below the door where _Ramsharan_ was locked and left for his home. As he reached out of the house, _Ramsharan_ opened the window and called him up .

"Meet me tomorrow at 4 a.m." asked _Ramsharan_ and quickly closed the window. _Rehman_ couldn't understand how to respond and started moving back to his home.

It was half past 10 and _Rehman_ lay playing with an alarm clock which he had lent from his friend so that he is not late in reaching _Ramsharan_. He checked it thrice before setting the alarm. The image of _Tantrik_ haunted him and he mulled on the ways he would have tormented poor _Ramsharan_. "He might have lashed him with the long leather whip which made one of his artilleries. May _Allah_ help him" mulled _Rehman._

It was only 3 in the morning and _Rehman_ was all set to go. He set the alarm off so as not to disturb his mother's sleep. "May be they would have not fed him" thought _Rehman_ as he tip-toed to the kitchen and packed few bananas in a polythene bag. While he waited for the long hand of the clock to reach 6 so that he could start his journey, he thought to invent a clock in which the change in hand, changed the actual time.

The clock hand hit 5 and _Rehman_ could not wait. He started to scramble through the lanes, pelting stones on the barking dogs and ran towards _Ramsharan_ 's home. He was whispering prayers so that he doesn't meet a witch. He reached _Ramsharan_ 's home and knocked at the window . _Ramsharan_ opened the window and whispered, "Quietly open the door and come inside". _Rehman_ moved inside and found _Raghuveer_ sleeping on the cot . He sneaked quietly into the room, unlocked the latch, moved inside _Ramsharan's_ room and advancing the banana's towards him murmured, " _Chacha!_ You don't seem to have had eaten anything yesterday night? Have these bananas".

"Let's move. Will have it later." hummed _Ramsharan_.

While tip-toeing out of the house _Rehman_ asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the railway station? " exclaimed _Rehman_ shocked from _Ramsharan's_ response.

"Yes! I have discovered my dress faintly. And it is time, I discover it completely. So, I need to go" replied _Ramsharan_ with a smile on his face.

"Where?" replied _Rehman_ promptly.

"Neither I know, nor I want to know" replied _Ramsharan_ , his eyes glittering with an unreasonable faith.

They took the last lane which led to the station. With a stone throw distance away from the railway station _Ramsharan_ said, " _Rehman_ thank you for all your help. I have learnt a lot from you. Had you not been there, maybe I would have never realized _'my dress'_. Now I will take leave."

As they reached the platform on the railway station , _Ramsharan_ jumped in a train standing on the platform.

After a brief lull; _Rehman_ replied, "Can I also come?"

 _Ramsharan_ hugging _Rehman_ replied, "Not now child. You need to discover your dress. That will tell you what you have to do and when. I pray you could remain as 'witty yet innocent' as you are now."

 _Rehman_ sniveled and hugged _Ramsharan_ tightly. _Ramsharan_ kissing his forehead whispered in his ear , "That; never goes, so don't worry. Take care of the dogs and the birds. You will find me there. May you find your dress soon!"

The train started to move, _Ramsharan_ jumped inside and bid adieu.

 _Rehman_ kept looking at the train till it was not visible. He sat in the cemented bench as tears continued to ebb from his eyes. A stray dog sniffing his feet came near him and sat there. _Rehman_ wiping his tears started patting on its head. The dog wagged its tail, extended its fore and hind limbs as if surrendering itself. Two hour had passed after _Ramsharan_ had left in train, _Rehman_ still in a lost state kept playing with the dog and gazing here and there.

A station master dressed in black suit who was observing _Rehman_ 's activities for last one hour came up to him and said, " _Beta_! What are you doing?

"Finding my dress" replied _Rehman._

1 _Traditional Indian dress_

2 _Wild-mint flavored buttermilk_

3 _Anoint_

4 _Indian spiritual master_

5 _Landlord_

6 _Betel-leaf vendor_

7 _Brother_

8 _Uncle_

9 _Drought hit district of India_

10 _Son_

11 _Aunt_

12 _Policeman_

13 _Desert green_

14 _Brother_

15 _Ayurvedic doctor_

16 _Indian local cigarette_

17 Referring to the famous courageous horse of Indian king _Maharana Pratap_

18 Temporary solution

19 Ayurvedic medicine

20 _Mother_

21 _Indian dish made using_ _bitter gourd_

22 _Indian dish made with_ _Scrambled brinjal, onion and tomato_

23 _Long cloth underwear wore in India._

24 _Chocolate from Cadbury_

25 _Okra_

26 _Vegetable market_

27 _Father_

28 _Prayer_

29 _Priest_

30 _Ficus religiosa_

31 _Turmeric mixed milk_

32 _Sorcerer_


End file.
